Ford India Inspects 8% Dip in Sales in September 2012

Due to continued challenging market conditions, Ford India sales held steady at 9418 combined domestic wholesales and exports in September, recording an 8 % decrease. The automotive industry has faced some difficult conditions in recent months due to hikes in fuel prices, ongoing high interest rates and high inflation. Ford India’s domestic wholesales stood steady at 7794 in September this year compared to 7801 cars sold in September 2011. The festive season — when most Indian families purchase a new vehicle — has already kicked off with Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, and Ford India is poised to handle any surge in demand with its recently augmented capacity for diesel engines at its Chennai plant.

“We have seen customer confidence improving with the start of the festive season, and are fully prepared to handle pent-up demand during the festive period with our enhanced capacity for diesel engines at Chennai” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. Further boosting its pan-Indian sales and service network, the company opened two new dealerships in Bangalore and Kochi taking the number to 230 sales and service outlets in 123 cities.

During September, Ford India also introduced Ford Roadside Assistance (RSA) program in four cities - Siliguri, Hubli, Belgaum and Salem. By taking the RSA coverage to 55 cities across India, Ford India has further enhanced the accessibility of quality roadside assistance service in tier-two and tier-three cities. “In addition to growing our consumers, we remain committed to strengthening our sales and service network and providing quality service offerings to our customers by extending the reach of RSA,” Boneham concluded.